text:
Top Quarterlies: Most stocks have slid today, but these 5 are defying the tide
As the countdown continues to the next quarterly report filing deadline (this Friday, January 29), Stockhead recaps the best performers.
This stock is a marketing solutions and cloud services provider and is one of the few left from China.
It made $12.17 million in revenue and a $11.94 gross profit in Q4, up 27 per cent and 33 per cent respectively from 2019’s December quarter.
99 Technology also released its 2020 full year results, notching up revenue of $48.79 million and a $46.42 million gross profit.
The company reported market sentiment had softened in this quarter due to sporadic COVID-19 cases in Northern China. Shares in 99 Technology rose nearly 10 per cent today and it is in positive territory over past 12 months.
The dairy product maker also reported challenging market conditions but was able to deliver a solid result.
It’s quarterly gross revenue came in at $12.8 million, up 36 per cent from the September quarter although down 12 per cent from the previous December quarter.
Several of Bubs’ individual market segments did better, including goat dairy products which rose 45 per cent last quarter. Its offtake sales on Chinese ecommerce platforms also rose 163 per cent compared to the prior corresponding period.
It also declared that it was the fastest growing infant formula manufacturer across Woolworths, Coles and Chemist Warehouse.
The medtech stock, which makes medical devices that can track and measure fluids in the body, reported record overall business results with $2.1 million in total revenues.
Of this, $1.9 million came from its SOZO devices, which can assess for secondary lymphedema and deliver doctors of a precise snapshot of a patient’s fluid status and tissue composition, quickly.
It also reported a record number of patient tests for the quarter, notching up 28,000.
The San Diego-based ecommerce and BNPL player has had a rough start to listed life on the ASX.
But today shares saw a modest boost after it reported record quarterly revenues of US$22.8 million, up 51 per cent from 2019’s December quarter.
It also cut its bad debts from 19.9 per cent to 10.9 per cent.
Zebit’s CEO Marc Schneider declared that his company remained focused on achieving high growth in 2021 and in his years of operating companies he’d “never seen such a strong demand and repeat usage of a product offering”.
Demand for credit is on the rise and MoneyMe is in the right place at the right time.
The company once again reported record loan originations of $69 million – up 52 per cent from the September quarter with $25 million of that coming in December alone.
It’s closing gross loan book sat at $168.2 million as at 31 December 2020 and was on a trajectory for over $27 million in originations in January.
The company credited its increasing product diversification having launched 3 new products already worth 9 per cent of its book – List Ready, Rent Ready and MoneyMe+ which fund vendor advertising, property expenses for landlords and shopping expenses respectively.
It expects these to be the catalyst for further growth.


text:
Just because it’s blockchain doesn’t mean it’s safe.
According to figures shared with crypto news outlet The Block, blockchain companies dished out nearly $1 million in bug bounties on HackerOne in 2019.
Over the course of 2019, white-hat hackers and bug finders were awarded a total of $968,504.
Back in 2018, blockchain firms dished out $878,504 in bug bounties, Hard Fork reported at the time.
In outright value of paid bug bounties, this represents a small but still notable 10 percent increase year-on-year from 2018 to 2019.
According to the report, in terms of paid bug bounties the cryptocurrency and blockchain ranks as the fourth largest. Internet services, computer software, and media make up the top three.
The cryptocurrency and blockchain industry also paid out the highest average bug bounty of $6,124.
On one hand it might sound startling that the industry is paying out so much. But on the other, it’s good that hackers are being positively incentivized to help make blockchain services more secure.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Follow @thenextweb

domain: news


text:
Top Three 2012 One Book – One Lincoln finalists to be announced May 28th
The One Book – One Lincoln
selection committee is in the final stages of narrowing down the list of nominated titles.
Join us at The Mill in the Haymarket
for a Foundation for Lincoln City Libraries
-hosted event on May 28th, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Three “One Book” Finalists for 2012 will be announced at 10:30 a.m.!
Top Twelve One Book nominees for 2010
Voting for the 2010 One Book One Lincoln title has officially ended.
However, for readers looking for even more good titles to track down, our One Book One Lincoln finalists page has now been updated to include the Top Twelve nominees for 2010.
Check ’em out!
The Days Dwindle Down
The deadline for voting for your favorite for the 2010 One Book – One Lincoln is nearly up…you’ve got four more days to cast your vote for the titles you’d like to see us base special programming events and discussion groups around. Turn in your vote online or at your local library by the end of the day on July 31st.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for more good reading suggestions, just wait until Monday, August 2nd — we’ll announce the other 7 titles that made it into the 2010 “Top Twelve”!
Countdown to the 2010 announcement
We’re at eleven days and counting until the announcement of the Five Finalists for the 2010 One Book – One Lincoln!
Even though the libraries will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 31st, you can still join in the One Book celebration by attending the public announcement at The Mill in the Haymarket (8th & “P”), at 10:00 a.m. that morning. Be one of the first to find out what five titles will be vying for the city-wide community reading project’s focus this year.
And…for the first time, the public will be invited to vote on which of the Five Finalists they’d like to see as the selected title for 2010. Watch for your voting opportunities soon after the titles have been announced!
What will the Five Finalists be? Will one of your suggestions make the list? Stay tuned to find out more!
What has been your favorite One Book finalist in the past?
We’re only about two months away from the announcement of the five 2010 One Book One Lincoln finalists! The committee has narrowed the list to 40 titles, and the five finalists should be announced in June. While we’re waiting, here’s a question for all of you:
Of the 40 past OBOL finalists (available as a booklist on BookGuide), which has been your all-time favorite?


text:
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a serious shortage protocol (SSP) for Utrogestan 100mg capsules, restricting the amount that a pharmacist can dispense to just two months’ supply with immediate effect.
DHSC said that Utrogestan, a progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug, was expected to be in intermittent supply until late 2023, as manufacturer Besins was struggling to meet rising demand.
The SSP would ‘support access to available stock’ while Besins was ‘taking steps to increase supply’.
DHSC said that it was continuing to monitor the position of HRT supply ‘very closely’ and was working together with industry, the NHS and other key partners ‘to help ensure the continuity of supply of HRT medicines across the UK for everyone that needs them’.
Minister for the women’s health strategy Maria Caulfield described the issuing of the SSP as ‘decisive action’ that would mean more women would be able to access Utrogestan.
‘I want to reassure women that the vast majority of HRT products are in good supply,’ she said.
She added: ‘The overall supply of HRT products has improved considerably over the last year and I am encouraged by how industry is responding to the growth in demand and our continued calls for action to boost supply to meet it.
‘We continue working to help ensure continuity of supply – which is a key part of increasing support for menopausal and pre-menopausal women and improving their quality of life.’
Shortages of Utrogestan have been reported for several months.
In February, Ms Caulfield denied a national shortage of Utrogestan, amid widespread reports of supply delays and difficulties getting hold of the hormone treatment.
And last week, national newspaper i news reported that women were ‘risking their health’ by sharing medication after major online pharmacy Pharmcy2U told patients that it was currently struggling to fulfil all prescriptions of Utrogestan.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) issued guidance on the Utrogestan SSP today, saying that the SSP could not be used if a patient presents a prescription for an amount less than or equivalent to two months’ supply, and that no prescription charge would apply if a patient receives a smaller quantity of the medicine than the quantity originally ordered on the prescription if it was supplied in accordance with an SSP for reduced quantity.
PSNC added that the DHSC supply team were constantly monitoring the HRT supply situation, and the DHSC would issue SSPs for other HRT medicines if considered appropriate by ministers.
The negotiator also confirmed that contractors supplying Utrogestan 100mg capsules in accordance with the SSP would be reimbursed the Drug Tariff Part VIIIA reimbursement price for Utrogestan 100mg capsules, as well as being paid one Single Activity fee (currently £1.27) and one SSP fee (£5.35).
They added that until the end of May 2023, the reimbursement price will account for VAT payment, but from June 2023, this VAT allowance will no longer be paid as products supplied in accordance with an SSP would be considered VAT zero-rated.


text:
Tata Motors is facing intense competition in the subcompact SUV segment from the likes of Kia Sonet and Nissan Magnite.
Our guess is that the upcoming petrol unit of the Nexon could feature a new DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission).
Talking about its pricing, expect easily a premium of Rs 1.2 lakh over the top-end Nexon trim.
As the year draws to a close, manufacturers are readying plans to launch new products in 2021. Tata Motors also has some ambitious plans in the Indian market with a slew of new launches. Tata Altroz, Gravitas are some of the expected arrivals in the first quarter of 2021. Along with the mentioned names, there is a chance of a new Tata Nexon variant coming also. As per our friends at Rushlane, a unit of Tata Nexon was spotted testing on Pune road. Our guess is that the upcoming petrol unit could feature a new DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission). Tata Motors is facing intense competition in the subcompact SUV segment from new arrivals like the Kia Sonet and Nissan Magnite. To keep up with its competition, Tata is expected to refresh Nexon model.
Talking about the DCT gearbox, it is likely to make an its first appearance in the upcoming Altroz Turbo model scheduled to be launched next year. The same transmission system could roll over to the upcoming Nexon model as well. Also, the Belgian automotive components manufacturer Punch would be supplying the wet clutch type of gearbox. The gear shifter, in turn, would be supplied by Lumax. Despite the inclusion of a DCT unit, do not expect the brand to discontinue the AMT variants. The top-end Tata Nexon trims would feature a DCT gearbox while the lower-spec variants would continue to come with the AMT unit. There is nothing known about the design change but it will be highly similar to the current model on sale in the country. The interior might see an addition of a few features but we have to wait for more information on that.
Tata Nexon is currently sold with two engine options - a 1.2-litre three-cylinder Revotron turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder Revotorq diesel. The former delivers 119 bhp of power output and 170 Nm of peak torque while the latter belts out 109 bhp of power with 260 Nm of peak torque. Both the powertrains come equipped with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT gearbox. Although AMT is a good option for the Indian buyer but with the addition of DCT, smoother and crisp ride is guaranteed. Speaking about the pricing, expect easily a premium of Rs 1.2 lakh over the top-end Nexon trim. So with the expected price increase, the top-end Tata Nexon Turbo petrol variant could still be cheaper than the Kia Sonet Turbo model by almost 1 lakh.
Read Also : How to Decide Which Vehicle is for You?


text:
FSIS-R01-2008 HEALTH RISK: HIGH
Congressional and Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2008 – The Kroger Co., a Cincinnati, Ohio, retailer is recalling an undetermined amount of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The products subject to recall include all varieties and weights of ground beef products bearing a Kroger label sold between May 21 and June 8 at Michigan and Columbus and Toledo, Ohio Kroger retail establishments. These ground beef products also include a sell-by date between "05/21/08" and "06/08/08."
These products were distributed to Kroger stores in Michigan and Columbus and Toledo, Ohio. FSIS has confirmed that none of the affected products remain available for purchase at stores; however consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and freezers and discard or return the ground beef products for a refund.
This recall was initiated after epidemiological investigations and a case control study conducted by the Michigan and Ohio Departments of Agriculture and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that there is an association between the ground beef products and 32 illnesses reported in Michigan (15) and Ohio (17). The illnesses were linked through the epidemiological investigation by their pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern, or DNA fingerprint, found in PulseNet, a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a medical professional.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the Kroger Consumer Hotline at (800) 632-6900. Media with questions about the recall should contact company Director of Corporate Affairs Meghan Glynn at (513) 762-1304.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.


text:
Likely the first side-by-side sighting of the Rivian R1T pickup truck and R1S electric SUV out in the wild. Rivian hints that possibly some video is coming soon.
Tag: electric pickup truck
At first glance, it's hard to form a solid opinion on the Rivian, GM, Amazon deal tied to electric trucks. However, we have someone here with plenty of insight...
The US-dominated pickup truck market is a key focus for investors due to the culmination of battery cost reduction, architecture, duty cycle, and price point.
The Fast Lane Truck continues its No, You're Wrong! series with an episode with electric as an answer. Are diesel HD trucks dead? Will EV pickup trucks replace them?
The deal would provide Rivian with tons of funding and likely result in General Motors using Rivian tech for future electric pickup trucks.
Check out these new spy shots of the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck which reveal a fancy roof-mounted rack we've never seen before.
This video compares what we'd consider the two main upcoming competitors in the hot electric pickup truck segment. How does the Rivian R1T match up to the Tesla...
The prediction is that the electric truck segment with a range of 500 miles or more will grow the quickest in the coming years. Give us lots of range and we're in.
Adam Jonas was once extremely bullish on Tesla, but he's more tempered of late. He now suggests Rivian, with its electric truck and SUV, will take Tesla down a peg.
The attention to detail found even in the rear seats of the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck is really quite astonishing. Just look at that fancy badging.
Believe it or not, electric pickup trucks aren't a new thing. In fact, a couple major automakers, including Ford and Chevy, had EV pickup trucks on offer not too...
Called into question is the design of the Rivian R1T electric truck and R1S battery pack. Are there really design considerations that need to be fixed?
Exactly what level of volume are we expecting here? Rivian says combined sales for the R1T electric truck and R1S SUV will match first-year Tesla Model 3 sales.
GM seems to have slowed down in its EV efforts. However, CEO Mary Barra assures the time is coming. But first, the company must rake in money from diesel pickup...
Together at last. We believe this to be the first sighting in the wild of the Rivian R1T electric truck and R1S electric SUV. A perfect family photo-op for sure.
General Motors is undergoing a huge transformation on different fronts, from losing money to making money, from cars to SUVs, from conventional powertrains to...
XL soon will expand its offer by adding the plug-in hybrid Ford F-250 pickup truck, which will be introduced at the NTEA Work Truck show, March 5-8 in Indianapolis.
Watch this clip to see some rare footage of the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck at a unique rock climb event hosted by the automaker.
Confirmed. Ford is indeed working on an electric F-150 pickup truck and these never-before-seen spy photos prove it. Take a look at this electric truck.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe is very sought-after when it comes to interviews these days. We can't say we're a bit surprised. After all the silence, there's a need to...
Clearly electric pickup trucks and larger SUVs are critical to the adoption of EVs. While this inexpensive Chinese electric pickup truck is not the Rivian R1T...
Rivian has brought its R1T electric truck to the 2019 edition of the Winter X Games and will show it off to the public until Sunday.
It will be the best-driving truck or SUV in the world. It must be, because if it's not, why would somebody pick us over a Ford or over a BMW


text:
Foo Fighters will close out Amazon Music's 'Holiday Plays' concert series on Wednesday (16.12.20).
Dave Grohl and co will play "a career-spanning set of classics from the band’s 25-year career", including 'Learn to Fly', 'Times Like These' and 'Best of You', as well as their recent single, 'Shame Shame', the lead track from their upcoming 10th studio album, 'Medicine at Midnight'.
There will also be a special festive treat for fans, with a cover of Chuck Berry’s 1958 classic, 'Run Rudolph Run'.
The episode airs from 6pm (BST) on the Amazon Music app and on the Amazon Music UK Twitch Channel for a limited time only.
The Lil Nas X-hosted series has featured a show-stopping set from 'Midnight Sky' hitmaker Miley Cyrus and the 'Old Town Road' hitmaker himself.
Meanwhile, Jess Glynne and Jamie Cullum are set to perform at Amazon Music UK's 'Festive Fundraiser' event for the Help Musicians charity.
The special concert - which will also feature Nina Nesbitt as well as Amazon's Ones to Watch 2021 artists Griff and girl in red - will stream live for one night only from London's Roundhouse on December 18.
Patrick Clifton - Head of Music at Amazon Music UK - commented: “We know it’s been an incredibly tough year for musicians.
"We’re so pleased to be able to put on this Festive Fundraiser for Help Musicians, to raise money for an excellent cause and to host this gig for people to enjoy live wherever they are in the UK.
“We’re delighted to have these incredible artists take part in what we are sure will be a great night.”
All donations generated from the event - which is hosted by Edith Bowman - will go directly to Help Musicians, which has been providing hardship funding to tens of thousands of musicians since March.
Amazon Music UK will also donate directly to the charity as part of the 'Festive Fundraiser'.
The artists will take to three stages at the iconic London venue, performing Amazon Original Christmas songs and answering questions from Edith Bowman and viewers.
The concert will also feature highlights of the 'Holiday Plays' concerts.
Viewers of the stream will be able to watch and donate live on Twitch at www.twitch.tv/amazonmusicuk.


text:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance for umpires to augmented reality goggles for players are just two of the suggestions AFL clubs and fans have put forward to the AFL and Telstra in response to a 5G “ future of footy” survey.
Global ICT services provider Keysight Technologies has launched 5G network emulation solutions which it says deliver a “leading number” of 5G new radio (NR) protocol conformance test cases validated by the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PTCRB, a certification forum consisting of US mobile operators.
Twenty-five 5G smartphones have been announced and at least nine are now commercially available, the Global Mobile Suppliers Association says in its report for June.
Finnish telecommunications equipment vendor Nokia says it has won 42 5G commercial deals around the globe, with recent wins in South America, the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
The potential of 5G technology to benefit consumers dispels the ICT “industry myth” that consumers are unwilling to pay a premium on 5G, according to a newly published study which found that smartphone users are willing to pay 20% more for fifth-generation servic — including more broadband choices — and half of early adopters would pay as much as 32% more.
I can't find "Privacy Alert" in the Chrome store.
C'mon now. Because you're ignorant -- so you say -- about all these areas you're prepared to receive loose or[…]
Good on 'em.
Fair enough, too. Has anybody or any organisation publicly released detailed PROOF that any Huawei products are in some way[…]
Would the reviewers like to tell me what the sound quality of calls is like?Would they like to tell me[…]


text:
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has made several arrests in connection with the massive car smuggling racket in which government may have lost millions of dollars in unpaid duty at the country’s borders.
By Rex Mphisa
Several suspects, including some Zimra officials, are believed to be on the run, but yesterday, a Zacc official confirmed a number of arrests had been made.
“We have made a number of arrests. I do not have figures off hand, but we have made some arrests and the net is closing in on several other suspects,” Zacc spokesperson John Makamure said.
More than 430 cars were this week recalled by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) for verification of the genuineness of their importation and owners were asked to bring papers related to the vehicles clearances.
Most of the cars under spotlight were imported illegally through Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts.
Cars listed on a Zimra list published in the media last week include high-powered Toyota double cabs, Toyota Fortuners, late model Isuzu double and single cabs, among numerous other late models, whose duties were never paid.
It is believed smugglers, in some cases car dealers from Harare and other towns, used some shipping agents to fraudulently import the vehicles.
Exploiting a fallible Customs and Excise system, the suspected smugglers worked in cahoots with some Zimra officials to bring in the vehicles without paying a cent.
It is understood the arrests were widespread and some could have been in Beitbridge and Plumtree, where Zacc is working with the police.
Panic gripped the border town when many Beitbridge socialites’ names appeared on the list of people invited to present documents.


text:
FedEx to hike shipping rates by almost 5%
FedEx will have new shipping rates starting January 1, 2018.
All subsidiaries, FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, will increase their shipping fees by an average of 4.9%. The company is also imparting additional surcharges across other services.
For example, FedEx Express shipping rates will spike by an average of 4.9% for U.S. domestic, U.S. export and U.S. import services. FedEx One Rate pricing will increase by an average of 3.5%.
In addition to an approximately 4.9% increase across FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery shipping rates, FedEx SmartPost rates will also change.
FedEx Freight’s 4.9% increase applies to eligible FedEx Freight shipments within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; between the U.S. and Canada, within Canada, and between the contiguous U.S. and Mexico. FedEx Freight rates within Mexico will also change.
As of January 22, 2018, other charges will also be applied:
• A Third Party Billing Surcharge will be added to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipments that are billed to a third party.
• Applicable criteria and pricing for packages that require additional handling, are oversized, or are unauthorized, will change.
• FedEx SmartPost will apply dimensional weight pricing, and the Non-Machinable Surcharge will change.
• FedEx Freight will implement an Over Length Surcharge of $85 per shipment. This fee will be applied to shipments with dimensions between 8 ft. or and 12 ft.
The fee increases come on the heels of FedEx’s plan to pull back additional surcharges on holiday season deliveries — unless packages require additional handling, are oversized or unauthorized. FedEx Express and FedEx Ground in the U.S. and Canada will increase handling by $3 per package. Oversized goods are subject to an additional $25 per package, and unauthorized shipments will be $300 per package.
The holiday season surcharge will launch Nov. 20, and run through Dec. 24.
UPS kicks off holiday hiring spree
UPS is ramping up its holiday workforce.
The company plans to hire approximately 95,000 seasonal employees to support an anticipated increase in package shipments during the 2017 holiday shopping season. UPS expects increased delivery volume to span between early November and January 2018.
This marks the fourth straight year that UPS is hiring this number of employees for the holiday season, according to Reuters.
Candidates will fill jobs such as package handlers, drivers and driver-helpers. All jobs are available as both full-time and part-time positions.
Over the last three years, 35% of the people UPS hired for seasonal package handler jobs were later hired in a permanent position when the holidays were over, according to the company.
Discount giant will rely on its own workforce for holiday rush
Walmart is bucking the holiday hiring trend again this year.
Unlike other competitors that are hiring thousands of temporary workers to service shoppers during the holiday season, the discount giant plans to offer extra hours to its current associates. These shifts will staff traditional roles like cashier and stocker, and newly created technology-empowered positions, such as personal shoppers and Pickup associates, according to Walmart.
“This is the same approach we took last year, and we heard great feedback from our customers and associates,” said Judith McKenna, executive VP and COO, Walmart U.S.
While this is the second year Walmart is pursuing this model, the program has been evolving for some time. In 2015, the discounter committed to hiring 60,000 seasonal workers for the holiday season, but there was a caveat. Before making any new hires, Walmart gave its current employees first dibs on working additional hours during the holiday season.
To ensure its existing workforce is prepared for the upcoming holiday rush, Walmart is offering new training, tools and technology.
“Thousands of associates have completed training in our Pathways and Academy programs, which prepares them to more effectively serve customers, especially during this busy season,” McKenna said.
Walmart also plans to revive its "Holiday Helper" initiative. Armed with candy canes and Santa hats, these employees help customers find the shortest line and open registers, and also quickly grab items customers might have forgotten.
Walmart will be increasing the number of Helpers available in stores this season, the retailer said.
The discounter’s decision to forego a holiday hiring spree contradicts efforts by other retailers. For example, Target plans to hire approximately 100,000 employees for the upcoming holiday season — a 40% increase from last year. Additionally, the retailer will hire 4,500 workers at its distribution and fulfillment centers to replenish products to stores and fulfill digital sales throughout the season.
Similarly, Macy’s plans to hire a total of 80,000 workers for the holiday rush. However, this is down slightly from about 83,000 last year.


text:
Nowadays, wireless communication plays an integral role in any average person’s societal interactions. On April 23, 2014, Pakistan issued its very first 3G and 4G network licenses to mobile companies. Initially intended to benefit urban areas, this opening of Pakistani markets to new technological developments will hopefully expand into rural regions as mounting economic benefits are reaped.
The introduction of 3G/4G networks in Pakistan will not only facilitate the online transmission of information, but might also draw additional attention to the government’s omnipresent bans on websites such as YouTube. In an attempt to minimize this renewed consciousness of online censorship, the Supreme Court of Pakistan decided to lift the YouTube ban before the 3G/4G network launch. Only certain videos or user channels, deemed inappropriate or obscene by the Pakistani government, are to remain beyond reach. Despite the latter restrictions, this ruling marks an important step in Pakistan’s progressive fight for media and information freedom.
As wireless communication becomes increasingly available on newer and faster platforms, people’s interactions with their society, culture and even one another start to change. The implementation of the long overdue 3G/4G networks was met with unprecedented criticism by internet users. How practical was an increased bandwidth speed next to the Superior High Court’s liberal use of its power to ban websites considered anti-State or anti-Islam? The latter bans were even to be extended to search engines such as Google and Yahoo. However, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) soon reacted to the other, dangerous repercussions of banning such search engines for sectors of the government. The Supreme Court, it was later revealed, would instead merely block certain words from being searched.
Such heavy, systematic censorship, despite the recent and somewhat promising YouTube ban lift, has had serious, permanent repercussions on Pakistan’s level of interest and investment in internet technology.
This aforementioned heavy censorship trend began four years ago, on May 19, 2010, when the Supreme Court approved of a ban on a Facebook page containing different drawings of Mohammad (the Islamic faith considers depictions of the holy prophet to be sacrilegious). A mere 24 hours later, over 450 website pages were banned for similar reasons. The majority of these pages belonged to popular platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr or Wikipedia, causing overall internet traffic in the country to drop by 25%. Although the government has yet to publish an official list of these online bans, an incomplete list was compiled by the journalist web site ProPakistani in 2010, and updated in 2012.
Such heavy, systematic censorship, despite the recent and somewhat promising YouTube ban lift, has had serious, permanent repercussions on Pakistan’s level of interest and investment in internet technology. The latter economic pitfalls became serious points of discussion as the government considered issuing the 3G/4G network licenses.
For instance, many government representatives were worried by the lack of competition apparent during its April 23 Spectrum Auction. The latter failed to attract any candidacies from mobile companies aside from those already entrenched in Pakistan. Some wonder if Pakistan should have followed Afghnistan’s suit, abandoning the auction and working towards brokering individual mobile company license deals instead.
So high was the level of public concern prior to the auction that Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, had to issue a calming statement during his meeting with the CEO of Waird Mobile Company.The statement promised that the auction itself would dispel all previous impressions of bidders’ lack of interest in the 3G/4G spectrum.
Another common concern raised was the affordability of 3G services, let alone 4G services, for the average cellphone user in Pakistan. Mobile companies have just spent millions of dollars on wireless broadband spectrums, expecting to cater to over 130 million individuals. Should these expectations prove faulty and a much smaller market be unveiled, these technological investments would amount to an irreparable loss of profit for all major mobile network suppliers in the country. Such a financial loss would likely lead to an ironic decrease in the quality and stability of mobile networks in Pakistan. Such a failure scenario could also make Pakistan mobile companies hesitant to invest in future network projects.
On a more positive note, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) did manage to raise the promised 1.1 billion US Dollars in Spectrum Auction sales. This will assist the country in its bid to become a powerful player in the global economy by covering its costs as it works to develop a stable platform for its business development.
Despite its being the last country in South Asia to acquire 3G mobile internet, Pakistan’s recent actions have set it up for slow but hopeful growth. The network expansion will ultimately depend on mobile users’ switching to smart phones, a consumer decision only 10% of the 132 million mobile users in Pakistan have made so far. However, given that countries with similar demographics in South Asia and Africa have, even in the worst scenarios, managed to marginally benefit from similar mobile upgrades, there is every possibility that Pakistan will come out on the side of success.


text:
A Single Window can be an important 'building block' for trade facilitation, explains Felicity Landon
Security, simplification, transparency, efficiency, cutting costs, reducing delays, pinning down or increasing customs revenue … speakers at the African Alliance for e-Commerce (AACE) fifth International Single Window conference left their audience in no doubt as to the benefits for governments and trade of introducing an electronic ‘Single Window’.
But perhaps the simplest illustration came in the form of a story about sardines. Virginia Cram-Martos, director of the economic co-operation and trade division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), described how some friends bought a tin of Moroccan sardines while they were travelling in another African country – and found that the product had been imported not from Morocco but from the UK.
“It was cheaper and easier to export the sardines to the UK and import them back to Africa than go country to country in Africa,” she said. “This is true across Africa and a lot of Asia and Latin America too. It is extremely expensive for developing countries to trade with one another, as opposed to trading with developed countries – even though you might be talking about going just across the border to a country that probably shares the same language. That’s because procedures and costs are higher on both sides of the border.
She added: “This is where there could be particularly good benefits from a Single Window system, which would make it easier to export or import neighbour to neighbour – with the added benefit that neighbouring countries are more likely to have the same expectations in terms of products.”
The UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) Recommendation 33 defines a Single Window as ‘a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements’. If the information is electronic, then individual data elements should only be submitted once. A Single Window constitutes an important building block in the area of trade facilitation, says the recommendation.
Across the board
The World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) requires all countries to implement a Single Window and places an obligation on developed countries to assist developing countries in this. However, it is not always the developing countries that are behind, Ms Cram-Martos emphasised, and the case studies presented by numerous African countries served to illustrate the fact.
“There are many reasons for the move towards the Single Window model, including resource limitations,” she said. “We see longer term trends towards lower classical growth, global warming, more awareness of climate change, and a more circular economy (recycling). We see energy infrastructure and financial shortages, and increasing competition. All of these mean that waste is no longer an option. We can no longer under-use infrastructure, over-pay financially through corruption, lose competitiveness through non-productivity, or lose time and money. All of these are issues that a Single Window helps to address.”
Today’s connectivity means you can sit at your desk in the office and see what your pet cat or dog is doing at home, she pointed out, and that connectivity can deliver transparency and efficiency in trade. “We are seeing greater and more affordable connectivity in developing countries.”
She told Port Strategy: “Because of the WTO TFA, countries have to make a commitment to developing a Single Window, with the result that many countries are now focused quite closely on trade facilitation. Given that tariffs have been reducing gradually over the years, the primary barriers to trade today are not tariffs but regulatory and procedural barriers.”
In fact, these types of barriers have increased, particularly since the recession in 2008, she said. “That is because countries were concerned about protecting their domestic industries and since it was no longer possible in many cases to raise tariffs, they looked to raise other types of barriers to trade. Also, there are health and security concerns in developed countries, which are valid.”
Connecting foreign trade needs political will above all else, Aziz Rabbah, Morocco’s minister of equipment, transport and logistics, told the conference. Portnet, Morocco’s main Port Community System, has been extended to become the country’s National Single Window for foreign trade, with up to 25,000 users. “We can have a physical port – we also have to have the electronic port,” he said, describing Portnet as Morocco’s ‘e-port’. This is a key part of Morocco’s ambitions as a hub in international commerce, he said.
“We have invested billions of dirham in this process. But to me, as a professional in the field of digital technology, it isn’t a question of machines but of political will.”
The development of Portnet has dramatically reduced clearance times for containers, he said.
One business user said: “Portnet simplifies procedures. Before, we were talking about hundreds of documents and we had no perspective on what was going on and no control. Now we can track down what is going on and measure to find out how it is working. Clearance has reduced from 20 days to less than six days, but we still have a long way to go.”
Procedures for foreign trade are complex, added Julien Bornon, regional co-ordinator of the UNCTAD business facilitation programme for Africa and MENA. “As an operator of foreign trade, I would need to understand what is going on in a country for clearance and forwarding.”
A truck can’t wait for days for its load, pointed out another logistics professional. “You need to set that container free, for import or export,” he said. Morocco’s industries such as textiles, automotive and manufacturing all depend on a dynamic and efficient logistics system, he said.
Portnet has brought together operators, exporters and importers, said Rachid Tahri, chairman of the Association of Freight Forwarders of Morocco. “Before, we had a culture of ‘the other’. Now we work together. The fact that an importer knows exactly where his goods are and when they are going to be delivered makes trade much easier.
“And then there are [potential] investors. If an investor wants to come to a country and wants to be able to send goods, they need to know how long clearance takes, because that is the most important link in the chain for trading. This is not only because importers and exporters need to know when products are doing to be delivered but also because there might be added value on both sides.”
TAKING IN THE VIEW
Representatives from Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco and Senegal were among those giving presentations about their national Single Window projects.
Olivier Moreau, vice president business development of Bureau Veritas’ government services and international trade division, outlined the success of SEGUB, the system implemented in Benin. Average dwell time on the quayside for a container was 40 days in 2011; within three years, this had reduced to six days and last year (2015) 24-hour clearance was possible, he said. Meanwhile, customs revenue steadily increased from year to year.
Ghana’s GcNet system, a joint venture between government and private sector, connects two sea ports, one airport, seven borders posts and ten regions, and includes major banks, government agencies, customs and inspection authorities.
Before the introduction of Madagascar’s Gasynet Single Window system, customers languished for up to 20 days – that has been reduced to three or three-and-a-half days for maritime containers, or one day in the airport, said the Madagascar representative. In parallel, Madagascar has risen up the international ‘ease of doing business’ league and the aim is to be 100% paperless by the end of this year.
Kenya’s Kentrade system has more than 7,500 registered users and has brought together government agencies, manufacturers, freight and warehousing association, shippers’ council and shipping agents. “We brought in change management consultants to help push people to change; there was a reluctance to change from the known to the unknown,” said the representative. “Quick wins are important; we have increased visibility and transparency, and the system is enabling payments electronically. The average number of processes has been reduced by 50% and the number of documents is down by 30%-50%. The number of times traders need to visit government agencies personally has gone down to nil in many cases.”
LATEST PRESS RELEASES
With the global container shipping market currently estimated to be worth $4 trillion and representi... Read more
1-Stop Connections (1-Stop) is the industry leader in solving supply chain challenges to speed upthe... Read more
On September 6th, at the Radicatel Terminal which is located between Le Havre and Rouen, the special... Read more
Since the beginning of June, SOMACOM is operating TGIBOX with 4 Straddle Carriers on the container t... Read more
To achieve its ambition to become an essential logistics platform in the Central African region, the... Read more
World’s smartest digital port with Northern collaboration: Largest multipurpose port in Finland adop... Read more


text:
It's not just tech giants that tag Australians as willing suckers who'll pay over-the-odds to get their hands on international products: according to the Australian Crime Commission, drug cartels are also playing the geo-pricing game.
A group which in 2012 gave a laboratory demonstration of quantum key distribution (QKD) using lit fibre has taken its next step, demonstrating its technology in a field trial in the UK.
Netflix may not like the idea of paying extra to keep its streaming video content running smoothly but seems resigned to it, having now signed its second network peering deal with a major US broadband provider since the beginning of the year.
A malware infection which drew headlines January has returned and is using new techniques to infect and spread amongst users.
A patent dispute over a fitness technology running in the US Supreme Court will decide just how vague a patent has to be before it becomes meaningless.
IBM has thrown open the doors of its “cloud marketplace” a software-and-infrastructure-and-platform-as-a-service supermarket that offers its own and third party products.
Astronomers and exobiologists looking for spectral signatures as indicators of life might be chasing a chimera.
The team behind anti-censorship body Greatfire.org has launched an Android app promising unfettered access to all Weibo content, in what it claims is a major step towards circumventing the Great Firewall for Chinese users.
The world’s biggest smartphone-and-tablet screen-maker Japan Display has seen its share price tumble to record lows after it was forced to cut profit estimates for the year by nearly 11 per cent.
AMD has two new, low-power system-on-chip (SoC) designs for laptops and tablets ready to roll that include an ARM processor core built into the die to handle security and virtualized Android support for Windows systems.
About two-thirds of IT workers quizzed in a new poll are so stressed, they want to quit their jobs.
Samsung Electronics, the mobes, slabs, screens, domestic appliances and chips arm of the industrial giant, has posted results showing a decline in operating product.
VidsParts of Australia and Asia this morning experienced an “annular” eclipse, a phenomenon whereby the Moon covers just about all of the Sun except for a “ring of fire” on our star's rim.
Chinese customs cops claim to have confiscated a whopping 76 million items thought to have broken copyright laws last year, many of them electronics, highlighting the persistent problems associated with IPR in the Middle Kingdom.
If you’ve been mining "low-price Bitcoin wannabe" Litecoins with a rig of graphics cards, now is the time to shuffle them off to eBay – unless you can find a better use for them.
HPC BlogThat question everyone is asking: who are the undergrads competing for cluster-building glory at the Asian Student Supercomputer Challenge (ASC14) in Guangzhou this week? It’s a mixed slate of former cluster competition champions, wannabes, and newbies from almost every continent on Earth.
The Netherlands is about to become a test-bed for Wi-Fi-first and Wi-Fi-only telephony services, as both Ziggo and UPC offer free downloadable apps to use a growing number of Wi-Fi spots for voice calls.
Chip-making chappies LSI have added some go-faster SQL 2014 juice to their Nytro PCIe server flash cards.
Microsoft has secretly formed a "Special Projects" sub-tentacle of its Microsoft Research limb in an apparent attempt to out-black-ops Google X.
Game TheoryThe petulant slap of a velvet glove across a rival’s cheek – the centuries-old prelude to a duel to the death between gentlemen. To the victor, the promise of a wrong righted and, quite possibly, the hand of a buxom beauty. For the defeated, nothing but dishonour, or else the cold embrace of the grave.
US and Canadian Bitcoin investors have offered to settle their class-action lawsuits against the bankrupt MtGox exchange in return for a stake in the firm and the return of any of the digital currency it still holds.
It's day two of the El Reg Quid-a-Day Nosh Posse's Live Below the Line challenge, so let's see how our intrepid members are getting along on just £1 per day for food.
CommentIf you believe those who are less than impressed by "Nokiadroid" offerings, Nokia's Android phones are an embarrassment for their new owner.
Tech mogul Pavel Durov – dubbed Russia's "Mark Zuckerberg" for creating a Facebook-a-like website – has said he will never return home until corruption is quashed in his country.
SanDisk has announced a new 4TB flash drive, double the capacity of the biggest solid-state drive available today.
MongoDB and Cloudera have announced a partnership that will link their sales, marketing, and technology assets together, posing a significant threat to incumbents like Oracle and IBM and other startups like VMware's Pivotal.
Apple has sneaked slightly updated Macbook Airs onto its shelves with slightly tweaked price tags.
Europe's top cyber-cop has called for a shift in focus from the prosecution of online crims to the disruption of their activities.
The US Supreme Court is debating two cases today that may decide whether or not the cops can search people’s mobile phones without a warrant.
On the day stumbling US giant CSC named the latest person to sit in its UK hot seat, it also told 750 of its workers in Blighty they are at risk of redundancy, The Channel can reveal.
Yahoo! has announced its own line-up of original TV series – starting with two comedy shows from acclaimed directors.
Nothing grabs channel folk by the short and curlies like a margin making scheme and with this is mind HP has strapped a compensation rocket to the posterior of several Converged Systems to get sales to fly.
AWS Summit 2014A top Amazon bloke has scoffed at rivals who claim they can build Amazon Web Services-like systems in their customers' private data centres.
Growing virtual server backup biz Veeam continues to spread like an out-of-control viral infection.
Nokia Oyj begins a new chapter in its 149-year history today with new CEO Rajeev Suri – and a massive pile of cash in the bank.
Samsung has gone and used cheap-to-make triple-level cell NAND chippery to make an SSD for data centre use. Will it catch on?
Embattled US big-box retailer Target, still struggling to handle one of the largest and most expensive card heists in history, is implementing chip and PIN payment card systems for its stores.
A team of engineers formerly from Google and Jawbone thinks it has cracked gesture recognition for electronics with a Bluetooth-equipped ring that can control cursor movements and manipulate household devices.
Firefox 29 has left beta to become the latest stable release for desktop PCs and Android devices. The new version sports a long-promised user interface overhaul, new customization options, and an improved data sync feature.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking for a $48,000 fine to be levied against a man who allegedly kept a phone jammer in his car.
Twitter reported first-quarter revenue growth of 119 per cent over the year-ago period, but profitability continues to elude the microblogging network and it still isn't gaining new users as fast as investors would like.
Microsoft is trying to get into on-premise cloud clusters and hook the buyers on its own public Azure cloud by partnering with a small East Coast software company named Apprenda.
AT&T has one of the largest LTE networks in the US, and it has now signed an agreement with Honeywell to use the cellular grid to bring faster in-flight internet to air passengers.


text:
Zombies are in there too, although the trailer does nothing to clarify what role they'll play in Blackout-it may hint at it, though. And based on the size of this map, there's a lot to get excited about.
Based on what we see above, it appears that developer Treyarch (with help from Beenox) is set to seriously deliver on the promise of a Call of Duty battle royale mode, with wing suits, land, sea and air vehicles, killstreak perks and even zombies getting their time in the spotlight. This goes well beyond the tiny teaser we saw a month ago, and gives us a much better idea of the rhythm and style of the mode. Today, Activision and Treyarch officially released the first full trailer for the game's Battle Royale mode and it's absolutely bananas, to say the least.More news: Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL event confirmed for October 9
More news: Sasse returns from Supreme Court hearings
More news: The story of Philly Philly, the Eagles’ 2018 version of Philly Special
What Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 lacks in single-player content it will more than make up for in multiplayer modes. Starting on September 14, those who pre-ordered the game on PlayStation 4 can check out Blackout for themselves.
The trailer was released on Thursday, September 6 on the Call of Duty Twitter account with the tagline of 'Welcome to the Party.
As we previously reported, Blackout mode will support 80 players, launch with four vehicles which let you take to the land, air, and sea, and include unsafe hotspots where you can gun down zombies. The upcoming beta, which starts on Monday for PlayStation 4, will have 80 players but it may be more in the final version.


text:
A couple of months ago, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 151 out of 199 advertisements. Out of 151 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 39 belonged to the Healthcare category, 75 to the Education category, followed by 10 in the Food & Beverages category, 8 in Personal Care Category and 19 advertisements from other categories.
“The future prospects for OOH advertising industry in India are very optimistic.” The key drivers for high growth of the OOH advertising industry are changing demographic trends and lifestyle trends, augmenting consumer awareness and increased spending by advertisers, changing macro-dynamic variables and rising population who spend majority time outdoor. The OOH advertising industry is one
The recent demonetisation gave a huge fillip to the digi-wallet industry and their players have been extremely aggressive in the last one month. From running full-page ads in newspapers to making their presence felt on TV and digital, Paytm, FreeCharge and Mobikwik are concentrating on educating the consumers, expanding their user base and promoting cashless
Warc, the marketing intelligence service, has released its latest Global Ad Trends report, a unique and illuminating analysis of the data recorded in Warc’s survey of global advertising expenditure, to reveal the underlying global advertising and media investment trends and provide an outlook for the future. Warc’s survey of adspend has run annually since 1980
Ever since the demonetisation drive was announced about a month ago by PM Narendra Modi it seems to be the only topic on everyone’s mind. In keeping with this, Baja Avenger’s new film captures the fact that everyone is busy and caught up trying to find their wealth, namely materialistic wealth, but there is wealth
Introduction The Indian advertising industry has evolved from being a small-scaled business to a full-fledged industry. The advertising industry is projected to be the second fastest growing advertising market in Asia after China. It is estimated that by 2018, the share of ad spend in India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be around 0.45 per
A cluster of six billboards beside a Mumbai thoroughfare announced the release of the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, fittingly near Dharavi, Asia’s biggest slum where parts of the movie were shot. “The idea was to create a story, to communicate the scale and largeness of the campaign,” says Nabendu Bhattacharyya, president, Ogilvy Action, the out-of-home (OOH)
02Advertising spends in India are expected to grow 15.5% year on year to Rs 57,485 crore in 2016, according to estimates from media buying agency GroupM. Of this, Digital Advertising spends will account for Rs 12.7% of total spends at around Rs 7,300 crore. Digital is the third highest category of advertising spends, albeit lagging


text:
- Senator Shibli Faraz stresses the need to increase engineering exports so that more revenue can be generated
ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Commerce and Textile has directed the Federal Board of Revenue to expedite its efforts against under-invoicing and money laundering so that the country’s exports could be increased.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Shibli Faraz, discussed issues pertaining to under-invoicing with a particular reference to information technology (IT) products.
The committee chairman said that the current account and fiscal deficit remained the main challenge for the country. “We need to enhance our exports to get more revenue and to overcome these challenges,” he stressed.
The chairman stated that textile is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy but the country should also increase its engineering exports, as it would not only result in international market competitiveness but would also help the country generate more revenue.
Shibli Faraz said, “We have only one percent of engineering exports, which need to be enhanced for the growth of local industry. The government is committed to taking all measure to stop the weak and bleeding sectors.”
The committee expressed strong reservations on the import of secondhand spare parts of agriculture technology, including tractors. The chairman said that the protection of the local agriculture industry, including agriculture technology, was among the top priorities of the government.
A senior FBR official briefed the committee on the issues pertaining to money laundering and under-invoicing and informed about the efforts undertaken by FBR to stop these economic crimes.
He apprised the committee about the board’s efforts in promoting best international practices as recommended by World Customs Organization (WCO), World Trade Organization (WTO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) against under-invoicing and money laundering in the country.
“We are fully committed to stopping the under-invoicing in IT products, including laptops, wireless x-point, hard disk drive and USB drives,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Senators Nauman Wazir Khattak, Dilawar Khan, Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi, Ahmed Khan and senior officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and FBR.


text:
Cold Rock Ice Creamery will be investing heavily in Western Australia with plans to open over 25 stores across the state in the next two years.
Customers who buy a Take Home Pack from Cold Rock Ice Creamery throughout July will go into the draw to win a Queensland beach holiday as part of a national winter promotion launched last week.
Food franchises must evolve to remain competitive, Stan Gordon, executive chairman of Melbourne-based FFCo, told RetailBiz.
Cold Rock Ice Creamery is embracing the social media revolution by using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with its customers.
Retailers will continue to face challenges over the next year as consumers return to saving their money, a franchising expert says.
Companies planning to launch American food brands into the Australian market could be doomed to failure, a franchising expert has warned.


text:
I just got out of the Adobe MAX keynote where Kevin Lynch announced some big news for the company. The biggest announcement by far was the news that Adobe will be creating a $100,000,000 venture fund that will be available to innovative companies using Adobe technology. According to Kevin, the fund will focus specifically on Apollo-based applications. Apollo is Adobe's still-in-alpha runtime for bringing cross-platform Rich Internet Applications to the desktop.
On top of the news of the fund, Kevin showed off Apollo applications by MySpace (a version of their IM client) and eBay (a bid management tool running on the desktop). There was also a fantastic word processor running on Flex built by the team at Virtual Ubiquity.
Clearly Adobe wants Apollo to succeed, and they have built what seems to be a very strong partnership structure. The $100,000,000 in capital that they are putting up in seed money to show off what Apollo can do is an indication of exactly how serious they are. There will be a ton more Apollo news in the next few days and I'm excited to see what comes out of it.


text:
Butcher’s Meat Vending Machine is a Brilliant Idea
Pandemic or no pandemic, this idea is brilliant. The owner of a butcher shop and restaurant in Rochester, NY decided to use a vending machine to do business while his place is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. A vending machine? Yes, a vending machine. But, not your ordinary vending machine with potato chips, cookies, and candy. This vending machine is full of meat.
McCann’s Local Meats, owner Kevin McCann, told Fox News that his refrigerated vending machine that he is using to sell his cuts of meat is a hit with customers because it allows them to purchase their steaks and chops with minimal person-to-person contact. Plus, it’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. McCann said he is cutting and restocking the machine four or five times a day. McCann also told Fox News that he can’t take credit for the idea. He said his friend and mentor, Josh Applestone, who operates Applestone Meats in the Hudson Valley, has been using the refrigerated meat vending machines for years.
This is such a great idea. Local business owners have to think outside of the box to keep their business going in these crazy times.


text:
By now you’ve probably heard about BP’s massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico. Oil is washing ashore in sensitive coastal ecosystems, and people that rely on healthy populations of fish and shrimp to make their livings are at a loss about what to do next. There aren’t many answers yet, but a new fashion trend may provide some relief.
In affected areas like New Orleans, t-shirt vendors have been selling custom t-shirts featuring designs that support fishermen and the coastline. Many of these businesses have committed to donating at least a portion, if not all, of the proceeds from shirt sales to charities and organizations such as the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.
These charitable contributions may not seem like much, but literally anything helps in a situation as dire as this – even if it’s just awareness generated by the promotional shirts. Hopefully BP will get their mess cleaned up sooner than later. You can read more about this story here.


text:
Discount chain brothers sell major B&M Retail stake for £500m
The three brothers who made half a billion pounds selling control of their Woolworths-style discount chain to private equity say they would like to see the business listed on the stock exchange.
Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora have developed B&M Retail – which sells toys, furniture, and food, mainly in the North West – into a £1bn business and recruited former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy as chairman.
Simon told the Mail he would like to see it float. ‘Naturally if the business continues to grow we would like to explore the public markets,’ he added.
The brothers struck a deal, valuing the business at around £950m, with American investor Clayton Dubilier & Rice, which fought off rivals Blackstone, Advent and KKR.
The private equity firm will take an initial 60 per cent stake but if the brothers hit certain performance targets this will ratchet down to close to 50 per cent.
The investment will be used to expand the retailer, which has 300 stores and 10,000 staff, in the South and also abroad.
Simon said: ‘The discount market is growing rapidly and there is a real opportunity to bring this variety-based model to consumers attracted to bargain-based retailers. We buy in bulk and pass on deals to customers.
‘Mainland Europe doesn’t really have anything close to what we have to offer. Clayton Dubilier & Rice has relevant retail sector experience and a strong track record of working in partnership with management teams to successfully grow businesses across different territories.’
The deal will also see Vindi Banga – the former Unilever director in charge of foods, home and personal care – join the board.
Simon went to Manchester Grammar School, studied law at Cambridge and headed to the City where he cut his teeth at McKinsey, Barclays and 3i. In 1995 he, with his brothers, created Orient Sourcing Services and sold soft furnishings to Argos and BHS.
They sold this business and in 2004 bought B&M which had just 21 discount stores with a turnover of £65m.Expanding the group with cashflow they grew it to 300 stores in just seven years with a £1bn turnover.
They hope that bringing on board Leahy will help kickstart international growth. Majid Ishaq, head of retail at Rothschild, who worked on the deal said: ‘Terry is an experienced retailer used to rolling out businesses internationally.’
Most watched Money videos
- Ferrari send fans into rapture with teaser for their new car
- Can emerging markets continue to climb? We ask a top manager
- Could these LED lights on crossings save lives on the road?
- Bentley's brand new luxury Bentayaga V8 SUV is driven on ice
- Take a look at Bentley's brand new luxury Bentayaga V8 SUV
- The shares that should do well with higher inflation
- This is how Volvo's new V60 City Safety technology works
- Why have stock markets fallen and what should investors do?
- Take a look at the brand new Jaguar I-Pace prototype
- Jaguar I-Pace prototype smart cones driving test in Geneva
- Range Rover races through the 99-turns of the Tianmen Road
- New Jaguar I-Pace takes on Tesla in race against the clock


text:
Delayed indefinitely earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iron Man VR developer Camouflaj finally confirmed back in May that the superhero adventure would arrive on the newly-revised date of July 3rd.
If like many, you’ve found yourself struggling to keep track of the days and weeks that have passed since lockdown began, we feel it’s worth mentioning that Marvel’s latest foray into the realm of virtual reality will be available to download later this week. As for what sorts of world-saving activities you can expect to be getting up to once the headset goes on, you can get a taste of that for yourselves by checking out today’s launch trailer up above.
Taking place several years after Tony Stark has retired from life as a weapons manufacturer, a dangerous threat emerges, threatening not only to destroy the newly-reformed Stark Industries but everything and everyone Tony holds dear. As depicted above, the enigmatic aggressors are known as Ghost and Living Laser, the latter of which appears to be piloting one of Stark’s very own suits. In order to ensure they’re equipped to deal with such threats, players will have access to a suite of awesome abilities, with the Iron Man suit also able to be upgraded and customized during the campaign in Tony’s workshop to suit individual playstyles, though it remains to be seen if this encompasses cosmetic options, too.
For those that have the kit necessary to experience VR on PlayStation but are perhaps concerned about the potential motion sickness that Iron Man VR may cause, a free demo is available to download now via PlayStation Store. For further information, see below for the key features, as provided by Camouflaj:
- Using two PlayStation Move motion controllers fire up Iron Man’s Repulsor Jets and blast into the skies with an arsenal of iconic Iron Man gear at your fingertips.
- Face off against some of Iron Man’s greatest foes in high stakes, action-packed battles.
- Upgrade tech in Tony Stark’s garage to customize Iron Man’s sleek armor and awesome abilities.


text:
Lucintel anticipates that Asia Pacific will be the fastest growing region in the titanium dioxide market
According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the global titanium dioxide market looks promising with opportunities in paint and coatings, plastics, paper, and other sectors. The global titanium dioxide market is expected to reach an estimated $18.2 billion by 2021 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% from 2016 to 2021.
The major growth drivers for this market are growing demand for titanium dioxide in end use industries like paint and coatings, www.lucintel.com/chemical_market_r…stics_resins.aspx, and others. Technological innovations aimed at improving manufacturing processes to increase product yield with higher quality is expected to have a positive impact on the titanium dioxide pigment market.
In this market, paint and coatings, plastics and paper are the major application industries of titanium dioxide. On the basis of our comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that the plastics end use segment is expected to show above average growth during the forecast period.
Within the global titanium dioxide market, the paint and coatings segment is expected to remain the largest market. Increasing demand for architectural and industrial coatings in the developing countries of Asia Pacific, particularly China and India, has presented sound opportunities for titanium dioxide in the paint and coatings industry, which would spur growth for this segment over the forecast period.
The rutile segment is expected to remain the largest market by product form because it has highest refractive indices at visible wavelengths, and efficiently scatters visible light, thereby imparting whiteness, brightness and opacity when incorporated into a coating. Therefore, its demand is increasing across a number of applications.
Asia Pacific is expected to remain the largest market due to growth of end use industries, such as paint and coatings, plastics, and paper. Asia Pacific is expected to witness above average growth over the forecast period due to economic expansion in India and China and growing consumption of paints & coatings particularly in the automotive and construction industry.
For business expansion, Lucintel’s report suggests innovations and new product development, to develop products that exhibits better opacity, gloss, wetting and dispersibility, and lower energy requirements. The report further suggests the development of partnerships to create win-win situations and the development of low-cost solutions for end users.
Emerging trend, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the market, include development of Argex technology. The Chemours Company, Huntsman Corporation, The National Titanium Dioxide Company, Ltd.
(Cristal), KRONOS Worldwide, Inc., and Tronox Limited are among the major suppliers of titanium dioxide.
Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed growth opportunities in the global titanium dioxide market by application type, product form, and region, and has come up with a comprehensive research report entitled, “Growth Opportunities for the Glob…rtunity Analysis.” The Lucintel report serves as a springboard for growth strategy, as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. The study includes a forecast for the global titanium dioxide market by application type, product form, and region, as follows:
By application type [Volume (Million Pounds) and $ Billion Shipment from 2010 to 2021]:
- Paint and Coatings
By Product Form [Volume (Million Pounds) and $ Billion Shipment from 2010 to 2021]:
By region [Volume (Million Pounds) and $ Billion Shipment from 2010 to 2021]:
- North America
- Asia Pacific
- The Rest of the World
For more information:Make an Inquiry about this report HERE!


text:
Alexandria's John Bordner, left, gets a sneak preview of Port City Brewing's new Derecho Common beer from tasting room manager Jennifer Chace. The limited edition beer will be officially tapped Aug. 3 at 3 p.m.
Photo by Jeanne Theismann.
Alexandria When a derecho swept through the area June 29, downed trees and power lines left more than a million people without power during a record-breaking heat wave. Alexandria residents and businesses alike were left scrambling to salvage what they could of any perishable products. For Port City Brewing, that meant trying to save the beer.
“We lost power for almost a week and nearly lost 13,000 gallons of beer,” said Port City's tasting room manager Jennifer Chace. “We were able to get a generator and keep the brewery online but one batch of lager fermented at a higher temperature than intended. We didn't know it at the time but there is actually a style of beer intentionally brewed this way.”
Developed in San Francisco, this type of brew is called steam beer, or California Common beer. It is made with lager yeast and fermented at higher temperatures, which is what happened to a 60-barrel tank of Port City's beer.
“What started out as a Bohemian Czech Pilsner is now a California Common,” Chace said. “This is called making lemonade out of lemons, or what we have named our Derecho Common. We'll be tapping our limited edition brew Aug. 3 here at the tasting room and select restaurants in the area will carry it as well.”
THE DERECHO COMMON is described as “medium amber in color with toasty, caramel malt flavors. It is medium-bodied with an assertive hop profile. It is dry hopped with Amarillo hops, which give it a spicy, citrusy hop kick on the finish,” according to information posted in Port City's tasting room.
“This is good,” said Alexandria resident John Bordner, who got a sneak preview of the special brew during a July 28 visit to the brewery. “I'm normally a pale ale guy but find this very refreshing and would definitely order it again.”
The limited edition brew — equivalent to about 120 kegs — will be available on draft only in the Port City Brewing tasting room and at bars and restaurants in the D.C. Metro area.
“Right now the beer is still in the fermentation tank,” Chace said. “But at 3 p.m. Friday, we're going to officially tap our Derecho Common beer. We had a lot of support from the community during the storm and hope folks will come by, grab a growler and celebrate with us.”
Port City Brewery is located at 3950 Wheeler Ave. For information on the Derecho Common or other beers call 703-797-2739.


text:
New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) General Motors India today said its sales has increased seven per cent with 5,789 units during May 2008 as compared to 5,432 units in the corresponding period last year.
The sales in May this year comprise of 1,667 units of Chevrolet Tavera, 1,214 units of Chevrolet Aveo, 383 units of Chevrolet Optra, 2,250 units of Chevrolet Spark and 275 units of Chevrolet Captiva, a company statement said.
''The industry has seen some growth primarily driven by new models. However, the overall market sentiment remains sluggish.
The market is also worried because of the steady increase in inflation which has lead to a sudden surge in input costs for all manufacturers,'' GM India Vice President P Balendran said in a statement.
The fear of impending increase in fuel prices, rising interest rates and threat of global recessionary trend are affecting the growth of the sector, he added.
By the end of this year, GM India intends to place 125 sales points and 135 service outlets across the country.
General Motors India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Detroit-based General Motors Corporation.
UNI SR SG BD1550


text:
Microsoft arms half-wit developers with PHP handgun
Fail and YouTerrible things are about to happen in Microsoft's web application hosting environment, Windows Azure. Redmond's Slugworth, desperate to keep up with Mountain View's Chocolate Factory, has introduced support for PHP on their web application platform. Microsoft's Windows Azure is a competitor to Google App Engine and is trying to gain popularity by supporting interoperability and standards. And don't fall asleep within four hours of reading that sentence or a blood vessel will burst in your brain as your subconscious tries to make sense of it. You've been warned.
Digital Universe adds sextillions to hit 487 billion gigs
CommentIDC has under-predicted the growth in the amount of digital information, again, with millions of gigabytes of extra data created in 2008. The tech research firm claims business CIOs are having to make tough decisions, as huge information growth places ever-increasing demands on shrinking resources.
Transparent techies gather in Oxford
The end of July will see a British BarCamp in Oxford to discuss transparency and openness in government, cyber activism, data and identity protection and the ethics of social media.
Scientists: Tasers work, but we don't know how
Despite the Taser being one of the most heavily researched less-lethal weapons in the world, its operational mechanism remains a mystery, a conference on non-lethal weapons was told.
Sony Ericsson C905 Plus
ReviewPraised for combining quality optics with top-notch phone features, Sony Ericsson's 'C for camera' series has raised the bar again with the C905 Plus. It's basically an upgrade of the existing C905 8.1Mp Cyber-shot camphone with expanded memory, a grin gabbing Smile Shutter feature, plus extra applications including Youtube and the BBC iPlayer.
Who wants a giant poster of the history of Unix?
This one is strictly for the hardcore fan - for the very first time, it says here, you have the chance to purchase a giant poster showing the history and development of Unix.
Phone apps help blind 'see'
Two innovative mobile phone applications are in development that, it’s claimed, will help the blind and visually impaired more easily identify everyday objects and independently navigate.
Pillar Data - Larry Ellison's other storage company
AnalysisOracle buying Sun Microsystems has caused people to wonder about the future of Pillar Data, Larry's other storage company.
Inside USB 3.0
NEC last week announced what it claims is the world's first host controller chip for USB 3.0 - aka SuperSpeed USB because of its 5Gb/s peak data-transfer rate.
iPhone apps - the 10 smartest and the 10 stupidest
The soon-to-be-released iPhone 3.0 software will offer a slew of new capabilities to iPhone developers. With that sea change in mind, we thought now would be a good time to take a look at the highs and lows of the current crop of apps for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Super interconnect maker Quadrics going titsup
Last week, El Reg told you that one of the co-founders of British supercomputer switch interconnect maker Quadrics, Duncan Roweth, had taken a job at rival Cray. The situation at Quadrics is apparently more dire than that. The company is closing its doors.


text:
The company behind Legoland opens World’s first pepper pig Florida theme park.
According to their website, Peppa Pig Theme Park is an independent theme park scheduled to open in 2022. It’s right next to Legoland.
“This all-new theme park has multiple rides, interactive attractions, themed playgrounds, water playgrounds and, of course, a” muddy puddle “. There are fun live shows every day, all based on the immediate location of some of the world’s most popular brands. Meet Peppa and her friends while snorting, laughing, and playing to make memories of the family’s first theme park together. “
We are excited to share the first look #PeppaPigFL!! The family will ride, soar and set sail together with six new rides, a playground, a water playground and even more amazing experiences! pic.twitter.com/3CBHQyWUMW
— Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida (@PeppaPigFlorida) July 29, 2021
Starting April 1st, limited annual passes and vacation packages will be on sale. The grand opening date for the Peppa Pig theme park will be announced later this year.
The new theme park has six interactive rides and six theme playgrounds with character shows and an indoor cinema. The new park is designed with preschoolers in mind. Includes the first roller coaster ride with parents, as well as a free fair game for the whole family.
Peppa Pig theme park opens in Florida
Source link Peppa Pig theme park opens in Florida


text:
Millicom (Stockholmsbörsen: MIC) and Kalixa announced the establishment of a joint venture to develop a payments service provider to operate in Africa and Latin America, initially commencing in Colombia and Brazil later this year.
The joint venture will offer payment acceptance services for both businesses and consumers, including payment gateway and point of sale solutions for merchants as well as 1-click payment and eWallet provision for online customers. The partnership will cover the end-to-end payment ecosystem and will offer multi-device and cross-platform services.
The joint venture will benefit from Millicom’s existing reach across Africa and Latin America through its high-profile “Tigo” infrastructures in fourteen countries and its online partnerships in 31 countries. It will also draw on Kalixa’s experience of providing a full range of payment services, including issuing, acquiring and acceptance solutions to over 8,000 merchants across 100 markets.
The initial phase of the joint venture will begin in H2 2014 and will provide an end-to-end service for ecommerce providers. Brazil is the largest market in Latin America with around 60% of its ecommerce by volume and 80% of the continent’s top 500 e-merchants present there. In Colombia, Millicom’s largest market in Latin America, ecommerce is growing significantly at over 60% annually with 50% of internet users enjoying online shopping.
Millicom’s CEO and President Hans-Holger Albrecht said, “Working with Kalixa will enable us to offer a complete digital payments service in markets where ecommerce is growing rapidly and where we already have a strong presence. It is a great combination of our respective expertise.”
Ed Chandler, CEO of Kalixa, commented, “As developing markets, Latin America and Africa represent a combined USD$1.7 trillion opportunity for the payments industry. Our partnership with Millicom is the first step in making payments easier for merchants and consumers in these regions by offering a connected service with the full spectrum of payment services being offered under one roof. As we have already seen in Europe, by removing unnecessary links in the chain we can service customers more efficiently. This allows us to pass the value back to help merchants capitalise on the digital explosion happening in this region.”
Global Banking & Finance Review
Why waste money on news and opinions when you can access them for free?
Take advantage of our newsletter subscription and stay informed on the go!
Business4 days ago
Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation Expands Caribbean Footprint with the Promise of More ‘Transformational Changes’
Banking2 days ago
Open banking: Shaping the future of FinTech and Finance
Top Stories22 hours ago
France’s Eramet and Suez pick Dunkirk for EV battery recycling
Top Stories2 days ago
Thousands of Greeks rally as state workers strike over labour law plans


text:
At the set of the new Avengers movie in Central Park, New York, was where a new Acura-badged Audi R8-sized supercar was spotted. These spy shots prove to fans everywhere that the Honda NSX supercar is back. This Acura supercar actually previews a successor to the Honda NSX. Robert Downey Jr. was seen behind the wheel of the sports car.
Recently, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito gave hints about the arrival of the NSX. He said that the company’s plans to build an exotic sports car are proceeding. Ito said about six months ago that Honda wants to relaunch a high-performance sports car such as the NSX.
A Honda insider said that the Dual Note 4WD hybrid concept (shown in the photo gallery) from the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show was where the company unveiled the technology that will underpin the NSX, says AutoExpress. A 3.5-litre V6 was used to drive the rear wheels and in-wheel electric motors to turn the fronts, delivering more than 400bhp. Honda is still hard at work at perfecting the technology a decade later.
A source said that Honda aims to create a supercar that “breaks the mould while creating a new technological package.” Honda is developing a VTEC V6 engine of between 3.5 to 3.7 liters while lithium-ion batteries will power the twin electric motor set-up.
A plug-in recharge system will be used for a small electric-only range. As a result, torque is given a major boost and it shows off the high-revving quality that has made Hondas popular. Set to go on sale by 2014, this vehicle will have a weight-saving aluminum body and is priced at £65,000, which pits it against a Nissan GT-R.
The long wait is over! After around 25 years since the first NSX supercar was introduced to the automotive world, Acura has now unveiled the production version of the next-generation Acura NSX to the global media at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, where the brand also revealed key details of its design and performance. Developed and produced in the United States, the new Acura NSX production model – in NSX Red finish – is the final embodiment of the design, styling and specs of the brand’s mid-engine sports hybrid supercar. Introduced at the Detroit auto show under the theme of "Precision Crafted Performance,” the new NSX represents the apex of Acura performance and prestige.
As the brand’s original tagline, "Precision Crafted Performance” served as a guiding force in the development of the original NSX and was considered a crucial piece of its launch. Driven by this theme, Acura wanted to make sure that the next-generation NSX features a clean-sheet design. Thus, Acura’s global design and engineering team -- led by its engineers at its development center in Raymond, Ohio – spent around three years of intensive development for the next-generation Acura. After all, the goal for the NSX was to bring a "new sports experience" into the supercar segment, thereby challenging the usual beliefs about supercars.
Acura was able to achieve this by employing a new twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC V6 engine, a three-electric motor Sport Hybrid system and a nine-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT). Acura also made use of a lightweight yet ultra-rigid body made from several materials while employing world's-first material applications and manufacturing processes. As a matter of fact, Acura developed the new NSX under the concept of a "human-centered supercar" that places utmost priority on the driver in any element of the design. When launched, the next-generation Acura NSX is expected to leverage its high-tech features and highly innovative hybrid supercar power unit, body and chassis to provide intuitive and instant response to inputs.
Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura division, remarked that they were committed to create a new NSX that stays true to the heritage of NSX, delivering a new driving experience in which every part of the supercar respects its driver. He added that the NSX offers an intense and immediate emotional connection between it and the driver. Acura will commence taking custom orders for the new NSX super in the summer, with initial deliveries to customers to take place later this year.


text:
Vietnam's biggest fuel retailer Petrolimex cut gasoline prices Monday following a Ministry of Finance order to help storm victims cope with the devastation of typhoon Haiyan and other storms.
The price of 92-RON, the most popular gasoline variety, has been cut by VND250 per liter to VND23,630 (US$1.12).
The ministry ordered local fuel traders to cut gasoline prices by at least VND241, or 1 percent, in order to help decrease difficulties for consumers who have been affected by several recent storms.
The minimal decrease equals the VND41 by which the previous retail price had exceeded the official so-called "base price," which is set by the state and takes into account input costs and profits, plus VND200 per liter taken from the state gasoline industry's "rainy day reserve."
Local traders use the base price to calculate their retail prices.
92-RON prices have gone down by 3.8 percent since the all-time peak of VND24,570 set in mid-July.
Petrolimex also decreased the price of 95-RON by VND250 to VND24,380.
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the world's history, hit northern Vietnam early Monday morning after leaving trail of destruction, suffering and a reported 10,000 dead in the devastated central Philippines.
The storm left the Vietnam the same day it hit after causing 14 deaths.
Vietnam has been hit by more than 10 storms this year.
Like us on Facebook and scroll down to share your comment


text:
The giant social network refreshes its data policy to make it shorter and less complicated, leading the way with a new how-to and tips guide.
Google released its 64-bit Chrome Windows first, but it's moving Mac users to the new version faster. The promise: a memory, security, and performance boost.
Three Apple employees spoke to The New York Times about the company's secretive internal training program, revealing some of the lessons the tech firm tries to impart.
Simple robots that identify and move toward each other could open the way to armies of machines that measure pollution, pollinate plants, or fly through our bodies.
The mobile payments service is on the verge of expanding to Canada, according to the Wall Street Journal. But will Apple be able to seal the deal?
Before there was an Apple Watch, Apple had a watch. It was called the iPod Nano.
Yeah, the deal is only so-so, but it does raise the question of whether Apple TV remains a competitive streamer. Plus: two bonus deals!
Meerkat has enjoyed over a month of dominance in the streaming-video category, but Twitter's release of Periscope has changed all that. Here's why.
Technically Incorrect: A survey comparing engineers with marketers shows very different views of Tim Cook and Apple. Fifty percent of engineers view Cook negatively. Zero percent said they'd buy an Apple Watch.
Comparethemarket.com has stepped into the gap left by Orange Wednesday, giving you free movies when you buy or switch broadband, insurance, credit card or utilities.


text:
- The Foundry: Conservative Policy News from The Heritage Foundation - http://blog.heritage.org -
President Obama, Bangladesh Has Faced Enough Tragedy, Don’t Take Away Jobs, Too
Posted By Ryan Olson On May 20, 2013 @ 6:00 pm In Economics | Comments Disabled
Since late last year, workers in Bangladesh have been beset by tragedy after tragedy. First there was a factory fire that killed over 100  garment workers in November. Then last month a garment complex collapsed, killing over 1,000 people .
Now, as if to add insult to injury, the Obama Administration is threatening to raise U.S. tariffs  on products that we buy from Bangladesh. In a proposed regulation , the U.S. Trade Representative, based on input from the AFL-CIO, is suggesting tariffs be increased on imported goods from Bangladesh to punish the country for its poor labor practices. Bangladesh currently enjoys duty-free tariffs  on some items under the General System of Preference (GSP), which grants tariff breaks to poor developing countries in order to encourage economic development.
This is bad policy. GSP imports from Bangladesh account for less than 1 percent  of all imports from Bangladesh. In addition, GSPs for Bangladesh cover mostly agricultural goods. This will hurt the country’s most vulnerable by limiting farmers’ access to U.S. to markets. Rural Bangladeshis earn 57 percent less  than their urban counterparts, and $10 per month less than the soon to be increased minimum wage of $38 per month.
Any tariff increases in general would be deleterious  to the Bangladeshi economy. Tariffs increase the cost of exporting, ultimately eliminating jobs. This would put the very workers U.S. lawmakers are trying to protect out of jobs and make needed regulatory improvements even less likely.
These tragedies are horrific, but let’s not add insult to injury by taking away jobs from Bangladesh’s most vulnerable.
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/20/president-obama-bangladesh-has-faced-enough-tragedy-dont-take-away-jobs-too/
URLs in this post:
 Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Bangladesh130506.jpg
 killed over 100: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1125/More-than-100-die-in-garment-factory-fire-the-deadliest-in-Bangladesh-s-history
 killing over 1,000 people: http://news.yahoo.com/bangladesh-collapse-search-over-death-toll-1-127-122554495.html
 is threatening to raise U.S. tariffs: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-may-strip-bangladesh-of-tariff-breaks/2013/05/16/12e7ea0e-be42-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
 proposed regulation: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=USTR-2012-0036
 currently enjoys duty-free tariffs: http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?objectId=09000064811b07a3&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf
 account for less than 1 percent: http://www.braumillerschulz.com/ustr-seeks-comment-on-withdrawal-of-gsp-for-bangladesh/
 earn 57 percent less: http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/HIES-10/Final%20All%20table.pdf
 would be deleterious: http://www.ti-bangladesh.org/index.php/press-release/815-tib-concerned-over-us-law-makers%E2%80%99-initiative-to-review-of-bangladesh%E2%80%99s-duty-free-access-calls-for-playing-their-own-role-in-ensuring-ethical-business
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.


text:
It’s time to power up your favorite supplement drink! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers shaker bottles are on the way!
Power Rangers is teaming up with Gamma Labs, maker of the popular G Fuel energy drink, to create a family of Power Rangers themed supplement shakers.
The line will feature the original five Power Rangers (Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, Pink) as well as a sixth and larger design that will sport the team’s mighty Megazord.
The shaker bottles will be released exclusively at San Diego Comic Con 2018 – the popular sci-fi/pop culture convention kicking off on July 18, 2018. Gamma Labs will be teaming up with Lionsgate, where fans can find the bottles for sale at the film studio’s show floor booth.
Go go to San Diego Comic Con, and go go Power Rangers – it’s time to power up your bodybuilding supplements, mixable beverages, and more like never before!
Be sure to follow Power Rangers NOW on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest Power Rangers news.
4 thoughts on “Power Rangers Shaker Bottles Revealed”
No awesome I want those energy drink feel like a real power ranger next bottle shaker is green and white and sale it at target Walmart dollar tree plus 99 cent only store everywhere rangers forever
MMPR is the best I guess.
Dino Charge is the best


text:
Another month, another Toyota recall.
Actually, there aren't enough months in the year as there have been Toyota recalls in 2010. According to The New York Times, the total is now 15. Problems with sudden acceleration, floor mats, misshapen gas pedals, locking steering wheels, braking consistency, improper stability control activation ... the full list is here. Nearly every model is on it.
On Thursday, the Japanese automaker announced a voluntary recall of 1.3 million Corolla, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe models for engines that can fail to start or stall while driving. The recall, which affects the 2005 to 2008 model years, stems from a December investigation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration after 26 complaints were received about the Corolla's engine shutting down. The Vibe was built alongside the Matrix in a joint manufacturing plant in California, which was shut down at the very end of March.
Toyota says the problem is from a faulty electronic control module — which regulates idle speed and throttle position, among other vitals — that can crack, causing "harsh shifts" or an engine that "could stop while the vehicle is being driven." The modules will be replaced after owners receive letters next month and dealers receive parts, the company said.
The Corolla is the world's best-selling car of all time, and continually ranks alongside the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Honda Civic as one of the top-selling passenger cars sold in the United States.
Update: The total number is now 1.3 million, up from 1.13 million, and includes 161,754 Pontiac Vibe models. When including Canadian vehicles, the total is 1.5 million, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About Boston Overdrive
|Clifford Atiyeh is an automotive writer and car enthusiast . He has spent his entire life driving cars he doesn't own.
In the garage: 1995 21-speed Iron Horse, 2002 Jeep Wrangler X (by association)
|Bill Griffith is a veteran Boston Globe reporter, having reviewed cars for more than 10 years and serving as assistant sports editor for 25 years. He was also the paper's sports media columnist.
In the garage: 2006 Subaru Baja
|John Paul is public affairs manager for AAA Southern New England, a certified mechanic, and a Globe columnist. He hosts a weekly radio show on WROL.
In the garage: Hyundai Sante Fe, Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible
|Craig Fitzgerald has been writing about cars, motorcycles, and the automotive industry since 1999. He is the former editor of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car.
In the garage: 1968 Buick Riviera, 1996 Buick Roadmaster, 1974 Honda CB450
|Keith Griffin is president of the New England Motor Press Association and edits the used car section on About.com. He also writes for the Hartford Business Journal and various weekly newspapers in Connecticut.
In the garage: Mazda 5, Dodge Neon
|George Kennedy is a senior writer for WheelsTV in Acton, which produces video reviews for Yahoo, MSN, and other auto websites.
In the garage: Lifted 1999 Jeep Cherokee